In The End Pt 2 In The Long Run
by Ms.M
Summary: Life after the west wing from the point of view of CJ and Danny continues. Pregnancy, kids, elections and scenes from a marriage all come full circle.
1. Chapter 1

Title: In The End Pt 2: In The Long Run

Rating: PG (with adult themes)

Disclaimer: DISCLAIMER: The West Wing and its characters are the property of Aaron Sorkin, Warner Brothers, and NBC. No Copyright Infringement is intended.

Notes: If anyone hasn't read In The End part one, which I posted in January, you can read it here: (

------

**"The Long Run"**

(Song)  
  
I used to hurry a lot, I used to worry a lot  
I used to stay out till the break of day  
Oh, that didn't get it,  
It was high time I quit it  
I just couldn't carry on that way  
Oh, I did some damage, I know it's true  
Didn't know I was so lonely , till I found you  
You can go the distance  
We'll find out in the long run  
(in the long run)  
We can handle some resistance  
If our love is a strong one (is a strong one)  
People talkin' about is  
they got nothin' else to do  
When it all comes down we will   
still come through  
In the long run  
Ooh, I want to tell you, it's a long run  
You know I don't understand why you don't   
treat yourself better  
do the crazy things that you do  
'Cause all the debutantes in Houston, baby,  
couldn't hold a candle to you  
Did you do it for love?  
Did you do it for money?  
Did you do it for spite?  
Did you think you had to, honey?  
Who is gonna make it?  
We'll find out in the long run  
(in the long run)  
I know we can take it  
if our love is a strong one  
(is a strong one)  
Well, we're scared, but we ain't shakin'  
Kinda bent, but we ain't breakin'  
in the long run  
Ooh, I want to tell you, it's a long run  
in the long run  
in the long run, _etc._

1A YEAR LATER:

"To be real! Got to be real!" Josh Lyman sang along with the music as he held his second beer. "it's a ohhhhh AHHH!" He sang not knowing the words. "Got to be reeall!" He sang with force to his pal Sam as he approached him.

"Why is it that there's always bad cheesy music at theses parties?"

"Cause bad cheesy music is fun to dance to."

Josh looked around the loft apartment covered with white Christmas lights -- not for any occasion, but just as decorations -- and surveyed the crowd. He watched over all their old friends dancing and having a good time. After checking everyone out, he caught site of Danny and CJ dancing away. Having a great time, and a little too much beer, CJ danced with her back to Danny. She kept her eyes on him as the two danced, fitting into each other's bodies. It was the closest thing to dirty dancing Josh had ever seen. He looked at them with a big smile, proud in someway of how happy they were.

Josh laughed. "Look at them" he gestured with his beer. "Together a year, married, and they still got it."

"Yeah, well they've technically been married for only a year. That makes them pretty much newlyweds." Sam took a drink.

"Yeah...But they're married."

"Are you saying you think marriage isn't sexy?"

"Well.... It's marriage. The old ball and chain... He couldn't find any other words. "It's marriage." He hid his ineloquence with another swig of his drink.

"Well, I think marriage can be sexy. Sam looked at the crowd and Josh looked at him.

"What could make marriage so sexy?"

"Well, a sexy wife for one." Sam took a drink of his beer. Josh nodded his head and the men both looked at how sexy CJ was, dancing with Danny. Sam tried to dance along in his white man way when Josh caught site of someone at the door.

"Speaking of 'the love that dare not speak its name'." Josh pointed toward the door as Mallory entered the apartment.

"What is she doing here?

"I invited her. Happy Birthday, my boy. No need to thank me." Josh looked at his friend who looked back at him with an open mouth. Sam didn't like this or know what to do. "I think the expression on your face says it all." He lightly tapped Sam on the side of his face.

Elsewhere on the dance floor, Danny and CJ had moved out of sight of the other parties. CJ took Danny's arms and held them above his head, kissing him against the wall of the small office in Sam's apartment. She smiled gleefully with a large joker-like face.

"You drunk?"

"I'm happy?"

"You're drunk."

"You've had as much to drink as me."

"I can hold my liquor."

"Unlike Josh." She smirked. "AHA! Squirrels could drink him under the table. See how I compare him to a small animal and..."

"I'm taking you home."

"Nooo. I want to have sex!"

"We can have sex at home." He smiled seeing how cute she was.

"Yes, but here is more fun! I am going to do so many things to you. Dirty things. Things they write in Penthouse... Things..." CJ fell into Danny's arms.

"Ok. We're going home."

Danny and Josh sat in his office having lunch. It was something they did occasionally. To Josh, Danny, along with Donna, were his only links to the past. It was amazing to Josh how a place he had worked in for nine years could feel so new and empty.

The two men sat in chairs up against the south wall, rounding off their conversation.

"So when you gonna knock up that wife of yours." Josh mocked.

"Hey!" Danny socked him in the arm. "That's my wife you're talking about..."

"I was kidding." Josh paused. "So, no, really when are ya?" Josh smirked.

"We've talked about it."

"Well get cracking. You guys ain't spring chickens."

"That sentence works with the ladies, does it, Josh?"

Donna entered the room.

"You guys do know you can use the entire office." Donna commented as she saw how the two men had sequestered themselves in the corner.

"I'm used to a small office." A Josh defended himself.

"Yeah, well I'm used to having a boyfriend, but we all have to deal with disappointment."

"Ah, you guys broke up. I'm sorry, Donna," Danny said as he stood

"Yeah." Josh concurred in his own way.

"Thank you, Danny." Donna spoke to Danny with a smile. "No, you don't!" She scoffed at Josh.

"What? I do. I feel bad. What?" Josh never got how his attitude affected people.

"Hey, I got the thing to go to." Danny knew it was time for a briefing.

"Yeah." Josh said his goodbyes and Danny left. Josh walked out of his office continuing his conversation.

"You never liked him." Donna walked over to her desk.

"I did!"

"You didn't. You said he had a small head."

"Yeah, well that's true. His head was extremely small for...any human of this earth."

"Josh!" Donna winded.

Josh stopped in Donna's outer office and felt odd.

"You know I really miss having a hallway?"

"A little love here?"

"What do you want me to say? He's a great guy. Too bad you lost him."

"No!"

"I'm at a loss here."

"Fine." Donna took a folder and walked out of the outer office.

"Can I walk with you?" Josh walked with her.

"Why?" Donna was very confused.

"I just want to stretch my legs."

"You're strange, Josh. You're a strange man."

"Not as strange as that small headed ex-boyfriend of yours."

"Hey!"

"Hey, Josh." Sally, the Press Secretary spoke as she walked past them to the Press Room. "Hey, Donna."

"Sally." Josh and Donna said, looking at her strangely as she disappeared.

"I don't like her." Donna said in a low voice.

"Yeah. She's----strange....again much like that ex-boyfriend of yours." Donna responded by hitting Josh on the arm. "Oww."

"She's like a fake CJ----with her long legs and smart remarks. They're not funny. No one thinks she's funny."

"Yeah, I can see how long legs around the office can be bad."

"You were thinking about her legs just now." Donna dropped off the folder and made her way back to the office.

"So, I can if I want to. They're nice legs."

"Fake CJ." Donna sorted walking back to her office.

"Yes, Strange is definitely the word of the day." Josh retorted as he watched her walk off.

"What happened! I left you like two minutes ago!" Josh yelled at Danny sitting back in Josh's chair.

"I got the ice." Donna ran in with a fevered pace dropping the ice on Danny's eye.

"Oww!" Danny let out, taking the cold bag off his eye and moving it onto the side of his face. "He provoked me!" Danny yelled at Josh. Donna didn't move. "This is not my fault."

"You hit him!" Josh yelled.

"Ok, that was my fault!"

"It's not like you, Danny. You hit another reporter." Josh was beyond words. "You've never done that before. Have you ever done that before?"

"No!? And this guy's not a reporter." Danny sat up in his chair. "Not even a journalist." He yelled this in Josh's direction.

"He's got a press pass. I can't do anything about it just because he works for a paper you don't like."

"Its not a paper it's a tabloid."

"He was defending CJ!" Donna defended Danny. "Weren't you, Danny?"

"Donna." Josh stopped her.

"Fine. I'm leaving." Donna knew she had to leave and she did. "What Danny did was very gallant. Women like that kind of stuff." Donna made her last remark before leaving.

"Thank you, Dear Abby!" Josh yelled to her before continuing his conversation with Danny.

"I don't know if I can help you with this one, Danny!"

"What the hell happened!" CJ barreled into Josh's office slamming the door behind her.

"You called her!" Danny was mad as hell at Josh. Not as mad as CJ was at Danny.

"You hit another reporter!" CJ yelled at Danny.

"CJ..." Josh tried to intercede.

"What were you thinking!" CJ hit Danny on the back of his head.

"Oww!" Danny let out a cry.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" She said with sarcasm

"Yes!!" Danny responded.

"Good." She looked at Josh. "What the hell happened?"

"You know, I'm right here!" Danny yelled from his seat.

"I'm trying to forget that at the moment!"

"Hey, George and Martha!" Josh yelled. "I don't think the Joint Chiefs heard you?!" They stopped yelling.

"I shouldn't have done it." Danny defended himself.

"Really, Nimrod. You got that! When did you figure that out!" CJ answered him with her own kind of love appropriate to the moment.

"Hey, he was defending you!" Josh answered. CJ hit Danny again on the back of the head.

"Why'd you do it?" CJ demanded.

"Stop doing THAT!?"

"OK, ok!" Josh yelled . Everyone stopped speaking. "Let's all calm down a little...take it down a couple a----HUNDRED notches!"

CJ crossed her arms and gave Danny a look. A look the two shared without words.

"Ok." Josh spoke. "Now that we're calm." Danny looked at the two for a moment. "Yeah. I've got to talk to Sally about this." He walked toward the door. "You guys figure this out among yourselves." Josh took the door and had one final remark before exiting. "Don't break any of the furniture." He exited yelling Donna's name as he closed the door.

CJ looked down at Danny who looked up at CJ removing his ice.

"Danny..."

"It was stupid."

"This has been established! Look at that." She noticed his face with concern.

"Hey, at least he missed the eye." Danny joked.

"Yeah." She surveyed the damage lightly with her fingers. "But he got pretty close. I don't care if he bad mouthed me to the room, makes fun of your grandparents, or our cat."

"We don't have a cat!?"

"It's a figurative cat alright!" She hated having to explain that one. But back to what was at hand. "You can't do something like this. If it were me I'd kick you out of my Press Room."

"You can't say nasty things about a man's wife in front of him."

"He egged you on!"

"Yeah, and I fell right for it." Danny felt stupid he was tricked into the trap. CJ sat on the edge of Josh's desk and looked over her sweet, battered husband.

"What did he say that was so bad?"

"I'm not telling you?!"

"Danny!"

"I'm not!"

"I think I can handle it!"

"It was bad. I mean come on. I hit the guy. It's not like me to do that! I can't believe I did that. Man. That's so unprofessional of me."

"Danny." She paused. "They're going to have to suspend you for this." She scolded him like child.

"I know."

There was a small pause.

"I'm sorry I yelled. I just know how much you love your job and I don't want to see you lose it over this."

"Yeah." Danny was embarrassed. There was another pause until Danny tried to cut the tension with a joke. "You should have seen the other guy." Danny was very sincere, but CJ started to smirk. "You're laughing?"

"No, no. I'm not." CJ turned around.

"You are. Come on. Admit it. It's a little funny. Right? Right?" He had to make some light out of it.

"Yeah. Ok, it is. " She let her smile out, but changed it. "No, no. It's not." She pulled her smile away. CJ was feeling very maternal toward Danny at this moment.

"I knocked him to the ground and then he ran away."

CJ looked at Danny and couldn't keep from laughing.

That night Danny was even more upset than that afternoon. Together in their bedroom, where they had most of their conversations, being a very busy couple, Danny and CJ debated their situation.

"Take one of those damn editors jobs they've been offering...You can get another job—"

"It doesn't matter, covering the White House is my job. That's what I love. I won't give that up for nothing. I wouldn't even give it up for you and you know how I felt about you even back then."

"Well, then you shouldn't have knocked out Darcy!"

"You think I don't know that!? You think I don't know that!"

"You think I can't hear!" She took a breath. "Take the damn editor position---Don't take it. I don't care. Just shut up about it!

"What?"

"Danny! There are important things!" CJ knew they couldn't live on her occasional lectures and magazine articles.

"Suspended, CJ. Indefinitely! Indefinitely!"

"You know that's just for now. Let it blow over, Danny."

The phone rang and CJ grabbed it while Danny went off in the background.

"Hey I can't hear!" She yelled to Danny. CJ took the phone and stepped up onto the bed with her finger in her ear to hear better.

"Sorry?" Danny began to pace, upset with himself and the situation.

Yes, this is CJ Cregg...What?----Yes------------you're sure?" CJ got off the phone looking confused and overwhelmed, yet happy. She needed her husband, but he was in another world.

"It's just unbelievable," Danny continued his conversation.

"Danny," She said trying to stop him, but he kept on talking. "Danny!!"

"I'll get my job back. I don't care how long. But I'll wait. I'm a white house reporter, CJ."

"Danny," CJ again tried to stop him and he wouldn't stop talking, "Danny," she tried again.

"What?!" He finally looked at her. "What!!?"

"I'm pregnant!" This stopped Danny cold.

"You're?" Danny was soft-spoken.

"Yes----." CJ smiled.

"With my..."

"Yes!" she stated as if who else could it be. Danny jumped on the bed with her.

"This is amazing. I mean, how? I mean I know how. I just...." Danny was overwhelmed and he kissed her. "You're....we're going to have a baby..."

"Yes." She smiled.

"Sit down."

"I am sitting."

"Lie, down. Lie down.." He tried to get her to lie down, but CJ wouldn't hear of it.

"Danny, I'm pregnant. I'm not dying."

"You're pregnant?" He still couldn't believe it

"Yeah" She felt so warm telling him.

"Oh, CJ." Danny took a moment before placing his hand on CJ's stomach. He had tears in his eyes. CJ watched him fondly and placed her own hand on his. Danny was without words. He was in awe of his amazing wife. Danny slowly placed his head on CJ's stomach hugging her body close. CJ rested her head on his head and they stayed there for moments.


	2. Chapter 2

CJ, in what seemed a reversal of a year before, when Danny had moved in, was packing up her and Danny's things. Not too much and not too little. Boxes were scattered about the apartment and CJ had finally made her way into the kitchen. She was placing newspaper-packed plates into a box on the table when she heard a sound at the door.

"I hope you brought extra packaging tape with you," CJ called out as she walked into the living room. Only it was wasn't Danny in her doorway.

"Hello?" she asked the man wearing a baseball hat.

"Hi. I'm sorry the door was open." He looked around. "Moving?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I heard."

"Can I help you?"

"I hope it's alright I stopped by. I was in the area and someone....well...I had been calling."

"I'm sorry, have we met?" He did looked a little familiar.

"Yes, I'm sorry. You don't remember me."

"No, I don't?" CJ didn't move from where she was.

"I'm sorry. We met a few years ago. I was writing a movie on the White house and you-

helped me out with----

"Yeah, the writer guy." She smiled remembering. "You wrote that cute movie about the president who falls in love in the White House..."

"Yes."

"I didn't have a chance to see it. I saw clips. I heard it was good."

"Thanks."

"Didn't you also write that military movie.... with the truth thing and the wall—."

"Yeah."

"Oh....you've been the one calling me..."

"Yes, that's why I stopped by."

"Listen, I'm sorry. Things have been kind of busy and well.. I don't really do that kind of stuff anymore----you really should talk to Josh Lyman or someone at the White House..."

"Well, actually I'm looking for long term help."

"I'm sorry?"

"I've been green lighted to write a pilot..."

"Green lighted means go and a pilot is a first episode right?"

"Yes? Weren't you once publicist in LA?"

"Well, yeah. But I'm bad at remembering details when it involves things----I don't care about....Listen, I really have to finish my packing. If you need help writing, you're looking for Toby Zeigler, or Sam Seaborn, they're great writers....I'm not a writer-----not that way...I'm not. I just write small political essays--You want those guys."

"No. I'm looking for you."

"I really don't think so?"

"I've written a pilot about life in the West Wing."

"The West Wing? No one's going want to watch a show about that." She laughed at its oddness.

"I think they would. And I need a consultant?"

"Me?"

"Is it true your moving to LA?"

"For a short time yes, my husband's taking a job out there?"

"I just need someone to help me with things like policy----the goings on." He took a script out from under his arm. "I have a copy of it." He held it out. CJ took the script, looking at the man with uneasiness and uncertainty. She looked at the title.

"The West Wing." She read the cover.

"Just read it and tell me what you think."

"You know I usually don't like people in your business." She smirked.

"I've heard."

"--But you came to me?"

"I like you. I like the way you speak. You have a good sense of humor about yourself. I like that."

"Thank you?"

"I think you'll like it when you read it. When will you be in LA?"

"In a few weeks."

"Call me when you get out."

"Okay?"

The man in khakis and a baseball hat left CJ and Danny's apartment.

CJ walked into the gala party for the Bartlet's anniversary. The Manchester home was all decked out as if it was a party at the White House. A footman even met CJ at the door. Another took her coat. CJ didn't seem to know anyone at the party so far. It was still early and she passed up a drink that was offered to her. She, dressed in a red dress and wrap, looking shining and glowing -- a cliche of her condition, stood around feeling awkward about standing alone, but gleeful nonetheless. She looked around and noticed Toby in the corner, talking with a group of people, but looking as if he had been watching her the entire time and not involved in his conversation.

CJ smiled and gave him a little wave. He still looked at her. CJ gave him a question mark look back. After a moment she even looked behind her to see if it wasn't her he was staring at. Toby walked away from his group and toward CJ.

"Hey, there Toby." She smiled. Toby said nothing. "What?" She asked him.

A waiter walked past and offered her a glass of champagne. "No, thank you." She told the boy. She focused again on Toby who began to circle her.

"You're not drinking?" He asked her plainly.

"No?" She followed him with her head and eyes and he circled her.

"You never say no to a drink?"

"I drank to much last night...what's going on with you?"

"You look good? Where's Danny?"

"He went out to California early to set up a----house...Toby?"

"I see." Toby was on his second turn around CJ when he reached her left ear.

"Your pregnant?" Toby whispered into CJ's ear. She couldn't help it, and she wasn't sure if it was the way he said it or what he said, but she couldn't help laughing. It was one of her full smiling and guttural laugh. She tried to hold it in, but it came out sputtered and classic CJ.

"Toby."

"I think I'm right." he continued in her ear.

"I..." She couldn't speak, she was still laughing so much. CJ calmed herself down and looked around.

"I've been around enough pregnant women to know."

"One pregnant women, Toby, one."

"One's enough."

"Come with me."

She took Toby by his hand and pulled him into the bathroom.

"Ok, don't say anything. I'm telling everyone after dinner!"

"I'm right?"

"Yes." She smiled.

Toby got a huge smile on his face and Toby hugged her.

"That's wonderful." He pulled away. "Mazel Tov! This is so great. I'm so happy for you."

"Yeah, it is." She said sheepishly. "I didn't think at least at this point it was possible. I figured my time had passed." She smiled larger. "But then boom. There it is."

"You're happy?"

"Very."

"That's great...how far along are you?"

"Just a month."

"Everything good?" He said like an all-knowing parent.

"Yes, Toby." She eyeballed him.

"Because..."

"Yes." She watched Toby's concerned face. "Women in their forties have babies all the time Toby. I'm good."

"Ok, ok. "

"But you have to promise not to let anything slip."

"I won't, I won't"

"Alright. Well. Good." There was a pause. "What?"

"I'm just thinking how we're going to get out of here with out it looking strange.

"I think we cleared that when you pulled me into the bathroom."

"You think someone saw us?"

"A good guess is yes."

"Right." She paused. "After you."

"You first."

"Ok."

There was a pregnant pause. CJ stood there with a dazed look on her face.

"You're not moving CJ?"

'That's because I think I'm going to vomit soon. Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"It's not morning and you're getting morning sickness?"

"Now is not the time to debate, Toby, now is the time to get out of my way."

"This is very strange?" Josh spoke as he and CJ walked the halls of the back lot set of a new show called The West Wing. "Like out of body strange?"

Josh watched a beautiful women walk past and then he watched her walk away. The girl noticed this and turned around to give Josh a small smile. He was not used to that. CJ smirked at what he was doing.

"Josh?" she tried to get his attention.

"Man, I love LA."

"Josh."

"We really don't spend enough time here."

"So, this is the Communications Bullpen." CJ walk behind a set and into another. "Hey Carl." She said to a man on a ladder.

"Hey CJ." He hollered back.

"That's the craft service table."

"The what?"

"It's food."

"Then why don't they call it food?

"I don't know? I guess everyone has to have a craft to hone. Theirs is food service." CJ noticed a man dressed a brown suit going over lines. He was boyish and full of energy.

"Josh, this is Troy, he'll be playing the Deputy Chief of Staff."

"Wow, man." Troy took Josh's hand. "It's so great to meet you. I have so many things to ask you."

"Well, Troy, Josh doesn't have a lot of time."

"Yeah, I have to catch Air Force One back home or else I have to hitch it back to DC."

"We should have lunch sometime." Troy said eagerly.

CJ started to take Josh away with a head signal for "we really need to get going."

"Yeah, sure!? Josh was uneasy.

"I want to learn everything about you." The actor continued.

"Ok?" Josh walked away. "That was strange?"

"He's actually a nice guy."

"So, you're having a baby." It was the first time Josh had seen his friend since he heard.

"Yes, Josh, We've been over this."

"I mean it's great.... you miss one party you miss everything."

"You don't seem so terribly excited for me."

"No, I am. I just mean... you're not the first person I think of when I think of the words maternal?"

"Hey, I'm maternal. I do maternal things. Remember when you were sick and I brought you those pajamas. That's maternal--"

"Sick. Shot. Same difference."

"---I think that was very maternal."

"They were like eight hundred sizes too big. You going to learn to cook?"

"I can cook."

"I mean well."

"Ok. I guess I'd have to learn that. You know how I could learn that?"

"I don't know, classes?"

"You've been a big help there, Josh." She said with great sarcasm.

"Consider it my baby gift." He smiled.

"Generous to a fault."

"Yeah, I'm a saint."

"I'm very maternal."

"Yeah, yeah----." He was encouraging

"I am...I'm the epitome of maternal....that's me... whatever that is."

"Hey, CJ." The writer came up to CJ. "I didn't mean to overhear, but I love you guys' rhythm."

"What rhythm?!" They asked at the same time. Josh looked at his watch.

"I'm sorry. I really have to go." He shook hands with the writer with the hat. "Nice to me you."

He walked away and pointed at CJ. "I'll call you...Say hello to Danny for me."

"Yeah". She yelled back to him.

"I'm very maternal," she seemed to speak to herself. "I am!!" She spoke out loud.

"I'm not maternal!"

"CJ," Danny assured her.

"What if I drop it on it's head?!"

"You won't drop it on it's head."

"I can't do this, Danny." CJ was really feeling her extra hormones.

"Of course you can." Danny leaned in and kissed CJ's three-month large belly and then her on the lips. CJ smiled at the sweetness. It didn't last long.

"I can't even take care of a cat."

"When have you ever had a cat?"

"I've been around cats----"

"CJ, you'll be fine."

"I can't cook! Mothers need to know how to cook!"

"Wait? You can cook? Right? You're always offering."

"Oh, yeah, that....do you ever notice how when I offer to cook--something happens and well-----I don't." Danny thought for a moment.

"Yeah!?" He noticed.

"Yeah, I do that. I have this urge to take care of the men in my life, by offering to cook. Comes from having so many brothers."

"Oh."

"Sorry."

"No, it's ok. I just feel kind of stupid for not noticing that."

"Hey, you were blinded by love."

"You know cooking for loved ones even though you can't. I'd call that maternal."

"Really?" CJ's hormones were really kicking in and her eyes teared up.

"Yeah."

"Ok." She said like a child

"Repeat after me. I am a very maternal women."

"Danny?!"

"Say it."

"No."

"Say it."

"I am a very maternal women."

"I don't believe you-."

"I am a very maternal women!"

"And I'll make a great mother."

"And I'll make a great mother," she spoke sincerely knowing Danny was telling her something he already felt.


	3. Chapter 3

SIX MONTHS LATER:

SAM SEABORN HEADQUARTERS:

California 47th:

"JOSH LYMAN IS A HORSES ASS!" CJ Cregg-Concannon yelled as she kicked open Sam Seaborn's office door. Well, more like pushed opened with the force of a kick. The yelling and bursting in of a nine month pregnant CJ into his office made Sam stand at attention behind his desk.

"CJ." Sam put up his hands to calm her.

"CJ's here." Cathy, Sam's assistant poked her head in.

"Yeah, I got that, thanks." Sam said dryly. Cathy left the room.

"I'm gonna kill him, Sam!"

"He didn't mean it, CJ."

"I'm really gonna kill 'im, Sam! I don't mean this figuratively. I mean I'm going to find a way. And if I can't, I'll pay people to do it for me!"

"CJ."

"How could he do this! How could he be this stupid!"

"You asking me how Josh could be stupid?"

"I'm going to kill him, Sam!"

"You said that."

"And I don't mean that figuratively!"

"You said that too. You do know I'm not him, right? And right now this is only misdirected anger?"

"I'm too mad right now to yell at him--!"

"So, you're taking it out on me."

"You bet!"

"Lucky me." Sam grumbled.

"How could he, Sam? Has he lost all the brain cells left in his brain!" She threw a news paper onto Sam's desk. "To a reporter!?—." She indicated the paper.

"To his credit he didn't know the guy was a reporter."

"He didn't know...he didn't know! This guy's a White House Reporter Sam, not only is he a reporter...he works five feet from Josh's office! Josh is Chief of Staff!"

"Ok, true....But not all of us work in the Communications Office, CJ—"

"SAM!"

"--As far as he knew he was making an off handed comment to a friend....a friend of yours at a friend's party..."

"My engagement party?!"

"Yes....yes....your engagement party...He didn't think he had to be careful..."

"At my engagement party...my engagement party to another White House Reporter. Who did he think was going to be there, Sam, Monkeys!"

"Monkeys is funny. I like how you just inserted a word that wouldn't..."

"Sam---!"

"It just shows your good comic timing."

"Sam!—"

"Ok, it was stupid-----It was colossally stupid. But he didn't mean it out of malice. You know that?! And we all know how Josh can't hold his liquor."

"I'm gonna ring his neck!" CJ took an object off of Sam's desk and threw it against the wall. Sam ducked.

"Ok, throwing things. Not the best game plan." He paused. "That was my mother's by the way."

"And why are you defending him? How do you know what he was thinking! What are you his lawyer?---- "

"Well, I'm his friend...and well.."

"--He called you didn't he?"

"Well."

"He called you before he called me---?!" CJ knew the answer, she really didn't have to ask it.

"Yes," Sam confessed. CJ was disgusted. "For some reason he was afraid to talk to you. For what reason. I have no idea." He said dryly. "He said he was going to call you next. I told him to. He's going to call you." CJ's phone rang. "I bet that's him now." Sam took a breath as if to say, "Thank god."

CJ took her cell phone out and saw Josh's name on the read out.

"DIE!" She yelled into the phone and shut it closed. This made Sam flinch. She placed her hands on Sam's desk and leaned forward. "I'm going to kill him, Sam. And if that doesn't work, I'm going to put arsenic in his coffee, and if that doesn't work I'll pay a very large man name Guido to run him over in his car!"

"Well if all that doesn't kill him---he's not a man... he's Rasputin?"

CJ's phone rang again and again it was Josh. CJ flipped her phone open.

"EAT GLASS!" She slammed the phone.

"Ok." Sam took in the moment and walked around his desk to CJ. "Now, I think maybe it's best for you and the baby if we all just clam down a little."

"Uhh!" CJ took another object off Sam's desk and threw it at him. Sam ducked and watched it hit the wall.

"Also, not a good idea for you----in your condition to be throwing things."

"Why is it bad for me to be throwing things at you, Sam!"

"Well, they could....bounce off of something and -----well,---hit you in the stomach."

"What are the odds of that happening!?" She took a step back from the desk and put her hand on her stomach.

'Well?" Sam realized his thought process was off. "I guess the probability of that actually happening is about...ok, my thought process was a bit flawed in that area."

"Ya, think?!!" CJ took an envelope opener from Sam's desk. Sam quickly took it away from her.

"I think you have to remember that you have a lot of hormones running through your body and....so your emotions might be --a little heightened."

Sam looked for a place to hide the opener. CJ walked around the office and when she wasn't looking Sam stuffed the opening into a drawer.

"Why does everyone keep saying that!?" CJ demanded.

"Again, I can't figure out why...Listen, CJ, I think you're being a little hard on Josh. Let yourself breathe. Go home. Put your feet up."

"He told a White House reporter, "we all knew something more was going on behind closed doors!---"

"Again....he thought he was being funny....and he didn't know.. And well, it wasn't...being funny, that is."

"And this guy writes a book!"

"Ok, that I really think Josh couldn't have known about."

"---There are reporters outside my house, Sam! I can't get to my car without a camera in my face!"

"That is regrettable---"

"Regrettable!?"

"Hey, I'm drawing at straws here.."

Sam's assistant entered the room.

"Josh Lyman on line one."

"Tell him he can k---"CJ yelled, but Sam stopped her.

"Tell him I'll call him back." Sam turned to CJ and then walked toward the door.

"You know I think you're forgetting the fact that Danny and you also knew the kid who wrote the book---"

"Why can't I be mad at them both!"

Sam walked toward the door.

"I think the best thing to do, for everyone, is for you to go home, relax, and then we'll all talk to Josh together. I'll broker a peace agreement, or a Magna Carta of some kind." Sam put his hand on the door and looked back at her. "After all, I am a man of words, and words are the best peace keepers."

"I don't think that's such a good idea right now." CJ answered.

"Of course, it is. I thought of it." Sam joked.

CJ looked at him with her suddenly all too human face. Her shell of anger had disappeared.

"My water just broke." CJ was agog, but not as much as Sam.

"Whoa, what?" Sam looked down and saw the water spot on his carpet. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

"What do we do?"

"You need to take me to the hospital, Sam."

"No, no. I can't do that."

"Sam, don't freak out!" CJ didn't need anyone making her do the same.

"No, I mean I can't. See, Mallory and I have been starting a relationship, mostly from here since it's the intercession----"

"Sam!"

"---And well, she's finally coming to visit and well, we have plans---."

"Sam, I'm having a baby!"

"Can't you take a cab? We could call you an ambulance—"

"Sam!" CJ didn't want to go alone.

"I could call Danny?"

"He won't get here in time!"

"I'm taking you to the hospital?"

"If you don't want me to have this baby in your office, yes, you are!"

"Yeah." Sam took a breath and took her arm. "I'm taking you to the hospital." CJ started to breathe heavily. Sam took her into the outer office. "Cathy, I need you to call Mallory O'Brien and tell her I'm going to have to postpone our meeting."

"Oh my God," Cathy noticed CJ and the reason why he was canceling.

"Yeah.. Cancel my meetings for the day too---"

"Ok." Cathy looked stunned as Sam walked her out. "Good luck, CJ!" Cathy yelled.

CJ was in too much pain to answer her with words. She kept on doing her breathing.

"You know this kid already has really bad timing. Must be a republican."

"You're making jokes!?"

"Sorry, sorry."

CJ squeezed Sam's hand as he took her out the door toward his car.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam looked at the newborn baby in the window. On the card in front of the baby girl with a dollop of red hair was the name: Emma Jean Cregg Concannon. Sam put his hands in his pocket and looked at the child of his good friend in awe.

"Pretty cute huh?" Sam heard Josh's voice and was very surprised to see him

"Josh?"

"But then what can we expect from CJ, right?"

"Josh? What you are doing here?" Sam said as he hugged his friend. "How?"

"I took the red eye...Man, that baby's cute. You really think Danny is the father?" Josh joked looking at the child.

"Josh?"

"I called back and Cathy told me what happened."

"So, you flew out?"

"I couldn't leave it like that. I needed to talk her in person."

"Brave guy."

"Yeah, well I figure she can't hurt me if there's a baby between us."

"Good call."

"Yeah, I thought so."

"How were you able to get away?" Sam asked his friend as the nurse took baby Emma to her parents.

Josh looked down and around before looking at his friend. "I'm no longer the Chief of Staff."

"What? He fired you?!"

"No, I quit."

"You quit? Why? Problems with Russell?"

"No... You know at first I thought it was me. It was too much for me....the job----but now....I mean it was me....but not in the way I thought....you guys weren't there."

"I haven't been there for a while, Josh."

"No, you know what I mean, half the fun was being there going at the other guy...side by side with your---- friends."

"Yeah."

"It wasn't the same."

"So, what ya gonna do now?"

"I don't know." He looked over at his friend. "I thought I'd come work for you?"

"For me?"

"You running again?"

"I might?"

"You should."

"Want to be my campaign manger?" He smiled. "As long as you don't screw it up?"

"Yeah, well that last campaign I worked on didn't do so well" Josh said with his usual sarcasm. The two friends smiled at each other for a moment. "She taking visitors?"

"Yeah, she's with Danny." Sam gestured to the room behind him.

"I should go do this."

"Good luck." Josh started to go, but Sam stopped him. "I'd keep her away from any sharp objects. Anything that could fly through the air at great velocity."

Josh walked into the room blocking himself with a teddy bear as big as he went. He moved the bear away from his face to see Danny and CJ sitting on the bed. CJ was holding the newborn baby Emma and Danny was sitting on the side of her with one leg on the floor. They looked at Josh at the door.

"I bring a piece offering," Josh said as he set the bear on his side.

"Hey, Josh." Danny stood up.

"Hey, Danny." He looked at CJ a little scared. "How's it hangin' Claudia Jean?"

"Josh." She said plainly giving Josh no idea what her mood was.

"I'll leave you too alone." Danny kissed his wife and his newborn baby before carassing Emma's forehead and heading for the door. All the while. CJ looked at her husband with sweet awe and affection.

"Danny." Josh tried to speak as Danny hit the doorway.

"It's ok. Josh."

"I'm really sorry."

"I know. It's ok." He paused. "You can make it up to me by paying for my kid's college education."

"Ha."

"No, I'm serious." Danny left the room. He really wasn't serious.

Josh looked over at CJ.

"Nice bear." CJ told him with a half smile.

"You don't think it's too big?" He placed the bear on a chair next to the door.

"A little."

"I figured she'd grow into it."

"Yeah, when she's 42."

"Listen, CJ."

"It's ok Josh. I'm not mad anymore." She looked down at her small child lovingly

"You're not?"

"I realized there are more important things to worry about."

"Yeah." Josh smiled at the baby.

"It doesn't mean it wasn't stupid, but I'm not mad."

The three of them shared a moment. "So." Josh began again, starting a long circle of the bed to CJ's left side.

"Emma Jean, huh?"

"It's a family name?" She defended it to Josh.

"EJ doesn't exactly roll of the tongue."

"We're calling her Emma. My father always called me Claudia." She still felt the need to defend herself to the "boys club" in her life.

"I'm just saying."

"Danny wanted to name her Lola?" CJ told Josh as if to show him her name was better.

"Lola's a strippers name?"

"That's what I said."

"How about Gail?"

"Gail?"

"Yeah, Gail. I mean it has sentimental value for your guys..."

"Are you really suggesting I should name my daughter after a fish?"

"Well, when you put it that way." Josh had finally made it over to CJ's left and looked down lovingly at his friend's child.

"I can't believe this thing came outta you?"

"You can't?" CJ laughed looking at her daughter.

Josh leaned down and kissed Emma on her forward.

"Welcome to the world, Emma. You got a great mom."

"You really are sweet sometimes." She spoke a sentiment she said to Josh from time to time.

"Yeah, well."

"Danny told me you quit your job."

"He did?" Josh than realized it. "They leaked it already."

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna work for Sam, you want to come alone?"

"With re-election?"

"Yeah." Josh spoke softly and with sweet passion.

"Sure." They shared a moment while a nurse entered the room.

"Mrs. Concannon. It's time for the baby's feeding."

"Oh. Ok." CJ told the nurse. Josh didn't move. "Josh? "She looked over at her.

"Oh, I should leave?"

"Yes."

"I can't stay well.....oh-ohh" Josh laughed in his embarrassment. "You mean I can't stay?" Josh smirked now that he got it.

"Get out Josh!"

"Ok, OK. I'm leaving."

Sam sat disheveled and tired in one of the most comfortable of hospital seats. He had just sat down for a moment when he opened his eyes to notice he had maybe been there longer than he thought. He rubbed his eyes to adjust to being awake again, when he saw her. Form the back, but it was unmistakable who it was. Her red hair shone in the harsh hospital lighting.

"Mallory?" he asked grabbing hold of his suit jacket and walking toward her in his still sleepy trance.

"Which one's CJ and Danny's?" Mallory asked holding her hand to the window.

"She's in with CJ? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"Didn't Cathy get in touch with you?"

"She did. I took the flight anyway."

"Why?"

"This was very sweet of you. I know how much you were looking forward to this."

"You didn't have to come. It only gives us a day."

"I wanted to come."

"Oh." Sam was happy about that.

"I guess I'm going to be around one of theses sometime soon."

"Wait? You're not...I mean we haven't even."

"No, Sam. Not me. My father."

"Leo?"

"Yes"

"And Jordan..."

"But she's like..."

"Forty eight."

"Wow. I mean wow. Go Leo." He noticed Mallory crying. "Or not."

"No. It's ok. I'm happy for him. It's just."

"You're his little girl?"

"Crazy right?"

"No. Not at all. You're an only child and then this comes along. It's gonna spook you a little." He put his hands on Mallory's shoulders

"Sam. I'm sick of all theses games. I want a family. I want to be married this time and have it work---I want us to be together."

"Oh. Ok."

"You and me. No games."

"So, we're a couple now."

"Yes."

"So sex will be involved this time?"

"I hope so." Mallory leaned toward Sam and gave him a kiss.

"Sounds good to me." He smiled back.

"I'll be right back. I need to make a phone call." Mallory walked away and Sam watched her do so.

Josh approached.

"What's going on?" Josh asked.

"I think I'm engaged?"

"You're not sure?"

"No, not really?" He thought for a moment. "Things go good for you with CJ?"

"Yeah." Josh smiled with a breath. "She's gonna come work for us."

"Great." Sam commented.

Josh walked forward as baby Emma was brought back to the nursery.

"Can you believe one of us has one of these?"

"Well, one of us has had one of these, well, two of theses before."

"Yeah, but this is Danny and CJ. Makes you feel old. Huh."

"I think it makes me want to make the world a better place."

"Yeah, that too." Josh smiled at his friend. "When do we start?"

"When we get there he has to sign both releases-- do they know that??" CJ asked Carol as they walked down the halls of Sam's office.

"Yeah."

"CJ." A women yelled from CJ's left, holding a phone to her shoulder. "Danny wants to know which bottle is the baby's formula?"

"Tell him it's the blue one."

Josh walked out of his office.

"I need those numbers people!" He yelled. "Donna, I need those numbers?"

"Does it look like I have the polling numbers?"

"How does one look like they have numbers?"

"If I had the numbers I'd tell you, Josh."

"I need those numbers, Josh!" CJ howled as she passed Josh.

"I'm working on it!" He disappeared.

"If I don't have those numbers in thirty minutes I'm making them up and blaming you." By this time, Carol was no longer walking with CJ. A man walked up to CJ and handed her a paper.

"Here's that wire story."

"Thanks." She walked into Sam's office.

"Hey, CJ." Sam looked up from his writing.

"Got a copy of that wire article for you."

"Great." Sam took it as he put his glasses on to see it. CJ sat herself down on Sam's couch with a plop.

"We should be getting those numbers soon." Josh walked in followed by Donna. He sat himself down in a relaxed way.

There was an awkward pause as the group wondered why they were there.

"Why are we all here?" Sam asked, placing his glasses down on his desk.

"We're supposed to have a meeting?" Josh answered.

"Yeah," CJ looked up from her notes knowing this was true.

"But the meeting was supposed to be about the polling numbers?"

CJ laughed.

"Let's go drinking." The gang grimmaced and let out their out cries on the idea.

Donna entered not knowing what was going on.

"What?"

"Josh wants to go drinking?"

"Are the numbers that bad?" Donna asked.

"We don't have the numbers yet?" Sam told her.

"I just thought we could spend some time together. Unwind." Josh answered.

"Drinking?!" Donna knew it was a bad idea.

"Donna's right there, Josh?" Sam agreed

"I could drink any of you under the table." Josh was always in denial.

"I think the only one under the table would be you, Josh." CJ smirked.

"Hey!" Josh hated jokes about his drinking.

"He has a delicate system." Donna said with a worry.

"I do not!" Josh continued.

"I think what Josh is saying is he likes being under the table." Sam joked dryly.

"I don't." Josh was being ignored.

"Then he can look up all the women's skirts." CJ said with her dry sarcasm.

"Well, I can't deny that." Josh smiled his cocky smile and put his hands behind his head.

"Got the numbers." An intern appeared in the doorway, drawing everyone's eyes toward the door.

Josh jumped but, being closest to the door, and took the paper from the boy. Donna, Sam and CJ looked on with anticipation. CJ leaned in from the couch and Sam walked out from behind his desk.

"Oh." Josh's face dropped.

"What? Sam asked as CJ walked over to Josh and took the paper. "That bad?"

"Oh." CJ looked up at Sam and he knew it had to be really bed.

"That bad." Sam spoke. CJ and Josh looked at each other as Sam approached. He took the paper from CJ. "It can't be that." He looked at the paper. "It can be that bad?"

"Well, think of it this way, you're still the only democrat who ever won Orange County," CJ paused. "Now, you'll just be in a bigger club." She smiled to punctuate the fact she meant well.

"You can finally move back to Washington for good." Josh told him.

"Mallory would like that."

"Hey, come on." Donna injected. "Don't be so negative. We could still win this. Look at the come back Sam made from last time. We're still not out of this." During her speech, Josh took the paper from Sam and held it in front of Donna's face. "Oh, dear lord." She said as she saw the numbers. "I'm sorry, it just came out." She said to Sam.

"It's ok." He said to her. "I thought I was going to lose last time, so it's nothing new. Who knows, I may be pleasantly surprised this time."

"That's my guy." Sam put his arm around his buddy and squeezed his shoulder. "Stayin' positive."

"Right on." CJ raised her hand, but the remark still sounded odd coming from her.

1We're not letting you down, we're not giving up. We're staying till the end." Josh paused. "And then we'll drink."

The group groaned and made their way out of Sam's office.

"You know, I do not have a delicate system.." Josh demanded as he followed everyone out.

"Josh, you once started stripping down to your jockey shorts and danced the Macarena because you had half a dose of Dayquil."

"Don't forget the Air Force One incident." Donna remarked.

"Ok, that never happened." He yelled as the group left him. "That didn't happen. My system is not delicate. It's strong, thank you very much!" Everyone in the room was now long gone and Josh watched as a few interns stopped to give him a look.

"Ok, everyone back to work." Josh walked away trying not to look embarrassed. "Carry on."

Page 17


	5. Chapter 5

Three years later.   
"We never see each other, CJ," Danny pleaded to his wife. 

"I know."

"I want to see my wife."

"You want me to quit my job!" She said sarcastically.

"I'm not saying that, CJ. But we've got to do something. We're both at work all day. I just want a day I can spend with my wife and my daughter."

"Are you saying I don't want that. I want that." CJ paced toward the cabinets in the kitchen.

"Then we need to make some compromises."

"And that means me." CJ wasn't in the best of moods.

"I'm not saying that." Danny demeaned.

"Taking the job as an editor was suppose to—"

"CJ, I'm a reporter. This isn't for me."

"We don't see enough of each other as it is—"

"I can't sit by and watch other people get the stories. I'm a reporter. You married a reporter. I love you and I love Emma, but I can't be a good husband, or a good father if I'm not happy. I'm talking the reporting job." Danny left CJ in the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm home." Danny threw himself on the bed as CJ watched TV with papers strewn in front of her.

"I know I saw you come in. Remember. I was the woman at the door." She said sarcastically.

"No, I meant," he raised his eyebrows. "I'm home."

"Oh." She smirked at him as she turned her head and he leaned up to kiss her. Danny kissed CJ with the sweet passion he had when he kissed her back in 2000. He caressed CJ's face as he lifted his hand from her hair.

"Emma asleep?" Danny asked.

"Yes." CJ smiled. Danny leaned in and kissed her again and made his way to her neck. "No, Danny. No. I need to watch this. Toby's going to be on Nightline."

"What? Really? I thought Josh was doing the ABC thing?"

"He lost his voice. Toby's taking over."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No."

"This I have to see."

Danny sat on the bed, keeping close to the warmth of his wife while she watched the program. It was a typical discussion with Toby, which ended with loud voices and this interchange:

"Oh, please, Senator I could do a better job in the Senate than you. I'm a New Yorker and you are not doing the best for New York—"

"You're saying you can do better, Mr. Zeigler."

"Yes!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"I don't think I'm ready to answer that—"

"You just challenged me, Mr. Zeigler. If you think you'd do my job better than me, you're going to have run against me and have the good citizens of New York give their blessing—"

"Good—citizens—" Toby laughed. "I just might do that!"

"Hey bug!" Danny Concannon scooped his three-year-old daughter up into his arms. The red headed girl clung to her father's shoulder, having missed him terribly.

CJ entered the living room and framed herself in the doorway.

"How are my two favorite girls?" Danny smiled till he saw CJ's face.

"Josh called—"

"They want you to work for Toby's campaign—?"

"Yeah."

"You want to do it?"

"Yes."

"Ok. I guess were moving to New York." Danny left his daughter down, and she ran off to play with a ball.

"You're ok with this?"

"As much as I can be—." Danny placed his overnight back on the floor and walked into the kitchen.

"Danny, this is important to me--."

"I know it is. Which is why I'm saying yes. I uprooted by life to move here, to take the job you wanted me to—"

"Are we still on that---"

"I'll move with you to New York. I just want to be with you, CJ—"

"It's hard when you live out of your suitcase and not with us—"

"I'm trying here CJ—."

"Maybe you should stay here for now and follow Emma and me out to New York after everything's taken care of---"

"What ever you want, CJ."

"You sure said yes to that quickly—"

"I don't want this, CJ—"

"I have to pack."

Things were getting hard between them.

LATER ON IN NEW YORK

CJ played with her cereal bowl looking off into the distance.

"Mommy?" her daughter asked her. "Mommy?" It took a moment to bring herself out of her daze.

"Yes, Sweetheart." She looked her daughter in the eye. Into the blue eyes of her father. The deep blue eyes that would side step any paternity test. No one could look into the beautiful girl's eyes and not see her father. To not see Danny.

"When's Daddy coming?"

CJ paused, not knowing what to say. Because the truth was she wanted to see Emma's father.

"I don't know, sweetie." She kissed her daughter on her foreword and scooped her into her arms hugging her close.

"Danny?" CJ asked through the phone. "Where are you?"

"I'm in Turkey—I'm on my way home CJ-"

"Come home, Danny—"

"CJ. I can't hear you---"

"Come home—come to New York—"

"Do you really mean that—"

"I miss you—"

"I miss you too—"

"I'm sorry.---"

"CJ, you're breaking up—"

"I'm sorry—"

"Me too. I love you. I'm on my way."

CJ was asleep in her room when she heard the noise of Danny coming in. Drenched from the rain, silently as he could, he rested his belongs on the floor. The room was dark. The streetlamps below sent light though the large atrium window in the kitchen, hitting Danny in the doorway. CJ slid open the double doors to her bedroom and caught Danny in the shadows of the rain of the glass. There was a moment while they saw each other like it was the first time all those years ago. Danny ran to CJ and she took him in her arms and he kissed her close and hard. She looked into his blue eyes and knew she was really home. Danny walked CJ back into the room and shut the door as rain drizzled on the window outside causing a relaxing and gentle hum to the moment.

Danny held CJ all night falling asleep in their clothes. Sometime in the early morning Emma had woken up and crawled into bed with them, nestling herself between what little free space there was between her two parents. CJ woke up first noticing her daughter and softly stroking her hair. She noticed Danny was awake also smiling at his family. Danny put his hand on CJ's hand causing the three of them to be connected together physically. Danny leaned in and kissed her.

"I want another baby Danny—"

"You do?"'

"Yes. Do you?"

"Of course, but CJ you're 46—"

"I'll be fine. Women my age have children all the time—."

"I want whatever you want CJ. Whatever you want."

"Daddy, Daddy." Spoke the groggy Emma.

"Hey Bug!" Danny yelled, grabbing his daughter by the waist and hanging her upside down. She laughed. CJ laughed. Danny tossed his daughter lovingly between himself and CJ and began to tickle her. CJ laughed.

"No, Daddy, no!" Emma laughed.

"What? Should I crack your toes instead?" Danny made like a sinister man from a silent film and went for her toes.

'No!" Emma squealed in delight.

"Ok, maybe I should just tickle your mother."

"No!" CJ laughed, but Danny had her before she could get away. Emma danced around the bed laughing. Danny grabbed her and pulled her into a huge three-person hug. CJ kissed her on the forehead.

"Danny, I don't think we should tell people just yet, that I'm pregnant." CJ said, putting an earring on as she looked at herself in the mirror. "I just don't want to say anything until the third month." She crawled into bed and kneeled next to Danny who was still in bed.

"Ok." He kissed her, rubbing her back.

"I just want to be careful—"

"You sure this doesn't have anything to do with Sam, Josh, and Toby—"

"What?"

"It's not that your afraid they're treat you different because you're pregnant—"

"No—"She pulled away and put her shoes on.

'I know you CJ—" He rose up in bed.

"That's not it. They say it's best to wait three months. Make sure everything's ok."

"Ok."

CJ leaned in and kissed Danny.

"I gotta go. Emma's lunch is in the refrigerator and Cindy will be here at three."

CJ walked to the door. As she reached the doorway Danny called after her.

"CJ--."

"Yeah."

"You're just as good as the boys. In fact you're better."

CJ smiled. "I'll see you tonight."

CJ woke up, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her. Morning sickness, she thought. But she didn't feel sick. She just felt strange. It was a hot, sticky August day and CJ felt groggy with the feeling she had slept more than she should have. She was late. She took a quick shower and threw herself into a blouse and pants.

"I thought you were gone!" Cindy, Emma's nanny spoke as CJ slid open her bedroom doors.

"I know. I'm late." CJ grabbed her bag off the table next to the door and was gone. She still couldn't seem to shake the feeling. This was one of many things she hated about being pregnant, not being up to her full stamina. It made her feel left behind everyone else.

August in New York was like hell wrapped in a cultural metropolis of life and energy. It was even worse without air conditioning. Four fans blew in the Toby Ziegler For Senator office, causing the room to be hot and breezy, but still hot. The only indication that there was air coming from the fan was the streamers in flight attached at their seams. Toby, Sam, and Josh all sat in pushed up sleeves with their jackets hanging on chairs behind them. CJ rubbed her neck, pacing behind them. CJ was hot. She was bothered, but she wouldn't let on why. She unbuttoned her shirt as far down as she could and shook the collar to get some air in and relieve her skin from the hot garment. CJ felt it was a precursor to her what laid ahead after her pregnancy; menopause.

"Toby you have to do it." Sam demanded in his straightforward voice.

"I don't have to do anything I don't want to do it Sam!" He yelled.

"Toby you're running for office." Josh yelled. "You have to smile."

"Who says—"

"Ah Toby!" Josh lowered his head. The heat wasn't making this any easier.

"Tell him, CJ. Tell him he has to smile."

CJ stopped pacing and looked up at Toby. "Toby, you have to smile." CJ spoke flatly.

"Oh, that's enthusiasm. Thank you." Sam turned and told her. "CJ, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Toby took a look at her. "You don't look so good?"

"I'm fine. It's the heat—I think something I ate--."

"Sit down." Toby told her.

"I'm fine. Keep going." CJ put her hand to her neck to wipe the sweat away again.

"Ok." Sam looked at his notes. "What else do we have?"

"We should talk about the President--?"

"The President?" Toby asked.

"President Bartlet. He wants to come endorse you—"

"President Bartlet?" CJ asked.

"It just sounds so impersonal?" Josh asked.

"Well, what else do we call him?"

"I don't know, the President?"

"Well that could cause some confusion—"

"The ex-president?---yeah, I see your point. It's just strange—"

Toby couldn't take the bickering or the heat. He stood up.

"Ok, Ok. Will you to just stop it. It's like a shfitz in here. Let's go have lunch over at Murray's, we'll finish it there. —"Toby took his jacket.

Toby had been able to get, through friends and so forth, a nice office in one of the larger buildings downtown. Sam, Josh, Toby and CJ exited the building onto a large patio type atrium made of marble and cement. Sam and Josh walked ahead, engrossed in their own discussion, followed by Toby walking alone and CJ behind him. Toby walked down the small but long three steps when he realized CJ was very far behind. Toby turned around and took a step forward to see CJ standing behind him on the top step. CJ walked in a small semi-circle as she took a breath.

"CJ." He yelled to her and walked closer to her. "CJ, you coming?" He stood next to the step. CJ didn't seem to hear him as she walked over to the opposite side from Toby and grabbed onto the railing. It looked as if she would use it to walk down, but she slowly sunk into a sitting position.

"CJ?" Toby walked to her and squatted down to her level.

"Something's wrong" she whispered.

"What's wrong? What happened? You ok?"

"Call Danny?" She told him. CJ held onto her abdomen hunched over in pain.

"CJ." He was worried. "Why do I need to call Danny? What's wrong?"

She looked Toby in the eye.

"I'm pregnant."

Toby's face turned to fear for he knew what was wrong.

"Somebody!" He yelled looking around. "Sam! Josh!" They were nowhere around. "Help! I need an ambulance!" He looked at CJ who's head started to go limp.

She could feel her eyes slipping away from sight and her energy seeping out of her like water down a drain pipe. She was passing out.

"CJ!" Toby yelled, taking her face and trying to wake her up. She had to stay awake. "CJ!" he yelled. "CJ! CJ!"

Toby felt helpless as he watched CJ being pulled away into the emergency room leaving him alone. He hadn't left CJ's side, riding in the ambulance with her, while Sam and Josh jumped into a cab.

Toby, holding his jacket over his arms, walked into the waiting area. Toby's face was more than somber.

"Where is she!" Danny yelled, breaking through the crowd.

"Danny!" Toby yelled seeing him coming and motioning with his hand. Toby whispered to a nurse next to him."How is she? What's goin' on?" Danny was desperate.

"I'll take you back" said the nurse. Toby said nothing and lowered his head. Danny knew what the answer was as they locked eyes.

"Go." Toby said to him softly and he was gone.

Toby lowered his head and walked toward the waiting area as Sam and Josh walked up.

"I saw Danny come in." Josh asked.

"Yeah."

"Did you know she was pregnant?" Josh asked as he walked up to Toby.

"No?"

"She ok?" Sam asked.

"No."

"She lost the baby?" Josh ran his hand through his hair from his forehead.

"Yeah." Toby took a moment. "It was an ectopic pregnancy. There was nothing they could do."

Toby walked away mourning in his own way for his friend.

Back in her hospital bed, Danny held his wife as she criedShe didn't want to have him see her cry, and even though he couldn't see her face, he felt her heaviness against his body. He sat on the bed holding her, causing their bodies to create a single shape, and they both lost track of where each of their bodies ended and the other began.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't know what to do?" Danny sat at his kitchen table holding his hands in front of him.

"It's the hormones. She'll get better." said the upper class New England voice brimming over with character and poise.

"It's been a month and she won't get out of bed."

"That's not good."

"I know."

"That's not good in any capacity.""I thought you could help?" Danny looked at Abbey.

Abbey looked over at Toby sitting in the corner.

"I'm going to need your help too." Abbey said to Toby.

"Yeah, what ever you need." Toby leaned forward.

"She has a history of depression in her family." Toby told the group.

"Lingering hormones don't help."

"I have an idea." Abbey looked at the men.

Abbey opened the sliding doors to CJ's bedroom like it was the grand doors to the blue room at the White House.

CJ didn't budge.

"CJ?"

"Abbey?" CJ lifted her head off her pillow and looked up as if she had been sleeping all day, but she hadn't. "What are you doing here?"

Abbey circled toward CJ's end of the bed while CJ sat up and dangled her feet off the bed. "I came to see how you were."

"I'm ok."

"You don't look it."

"The pain is gone. I'm off the medications. I'm ok."

"CJ, Danny's worried about you."

"I know—"

"Because—"

"He didn't lose a child. I lost a child."

"Yes, he did, CJ. He lost a child just as much as you did. We all lose things. Things are lost to us, but it doesn't mean we stop our lives. You need to move on. I know you. You can move on."

"I don't know if I can." She began to cry. "It was my last chance." She paused. "I wanted that child so bad." She paused again to take in a breath and heave. "I never thought I'd want children one way or the other—but Danny—I wanted to have—I wanted to—I want to get over this, but I just don't---."

Abbey leaned down and took CJ's wrists. "I did." CJ looked at Abbey amazed and bewildered. Abbey sat down next to CJ. "It was after Elizabeth and before Ellie." She paused. "A boy." She took CJ's hair and pulled it away from her face as she too started to cry. "But it happened. It wasn't my fault. It wasn't Jed's fault. But I had to go on. I went on and I have two more beautiful children—."

"I'm almost fifty, Abbey, I don't see myself having more children."

"You're not fifty yet—and so what? You already have a beautiful daughter and a wonderful husband who loves you. Who want their mother and their wife back." She paused. "We all want CJ back."

"So do I."

"Bring her back."

"I can't." CJ buried her face in her hands and lay back on the bed.

"Then you give me no choice." Abbey looked toward the door. "Boys." Abbey yelled. Josh and Sam appeared by the door.

"Sam you got it." Josh told him.

"Yeah." Sam walked into the bathroom.

"What's going on?' CJ lifted her head.

"Man, Claudia Jean, you look like hell." Josh joked at the foot of her bed.

"Go, away." CJ yelled at Josh and turned to Abbey. "I don't want to see them."

"Well you're going to have to." Toby sauntered into the room and stood at the foot of the bed next to Josh.

Abbey gave them eyes and rose from the bed. CJ watched Abbey walk to the corner of the room as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"Here we go." Toby walked to the left side of the bed and Josh to the right.

"No!" CJ yelled as Toby took her under her arms. Josh took her feet as she kicked and tried to set herself free.

"Let go of me!!" She yelled as they carried her into the bathroom.

"This is for your own good, CJ." Sam told her as he walked toward the tub.

"How are we gonna do this?" Josh asked.

"Wait. Lower her feet to the ground." Toby motioned.

"Are you insane!" CJ yelled.

"Yes." Toby yelled back, taking her over his shoulder and walking into the shower with her.

"Wake up!" He yelled at her as the water came down on her and Toby. Mostly her.

"We need you here! I need you here. Danny needs you here. Emma needs you here. We all need you here. Don't go away, CJ—I don't know how many times I can go inside there and bring you back!"

CJ began to cry again as she sunk down into the curve of the bathtub. Toby turned the water off. Everyone in the room just stared at them. CJ snuffed in her cries and stood up. Sam gave her his hand as she stepped out of the tub and sat on its edge. Toby stepped out of the tub and crouched next to her. She looked up at her friend's loving faces and considered what they had done. She started to smile.

"You good?"

"Yeah?" She said, feeling like she was living in reality for the first time in weeks. Her smile went back to nothing, but she had smiled.

"We all love you, CJ." Sam told her.

"We only want the best for you." Josh concluded.

"Claudia?" Abbey asked by the door. CJ looked up looking calm for a moment. Danny walked into the bathroom and stood in front of Abbey, his hands in his pocket looking guilty for what he had let them do. CJ took his gaze. Toby stood. CJ looked at him lovingly, giving Danny the heads up he didn't have to feel guilty.

"Let's leave them alone, ok." Toby walked toward the door putting his hand on Danny's shoulder as he passed. Sam and Josh gave Danny brotherly looks as they passed the door.

Danny took a towel off the rack and handed it to CJ. She laughed.

Danny knelt down and looked her in the eyes. "You know what I was just thinking about?"

"What?"

"How you proposed to me in the bathtub."

"Yeah."

"The only time I had luck with a body of water." She laughed and patted down her hair with the towel before holding it in her lap. "I love you Danny."

"I know."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You don't. I just want you to be ok. That's all I care about."

"I want to be ok."

"You'll get out of bed."

"I am out of bed." She joked.

"Hey, that was a joke."

"Yes, it was." She laughed.

"I'm sorry—"

"Don't say that--- I won't let you apologize for this--."

"But I want to. I want to be..... better."

"I think you're already half way there."

"Yeah."

"Good." He took the towel and dried her face for a moment.

"Let's go back to Washington."

"What?"

"Washington."

"You want to?"

'Yeah I do."

"Get your old job back."

"Don't do this for me, CJ."

"I'm not doing it for you."

"Ok."

"I'm not."

"I know."

CJ snaked off the edge of the tub and fell into Danny like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Her head hit his shoulder and he cradled her.

Song:

Something that I said  
Made you wear a frown  
The way you hang your head  
Has made the tears come down  
But don't you wear a sigh  
My beautiful child

CJ lay on the grass on the mall of Washington and watched her daughter dance around in the air and the surface, soaring around with her red hair flying.

SONG:

You don't know it doesn't burn  
When you touch the sun  
So don't be concerned  
My golden one  
You're gonna reach the sky  
Fly ...  
Beautiful child

Danny sat typing away at his laptop. Emma took her father's attention and he chased after her.

SONG:

There is no other place  
The human race  
Is running out of space  
There is no better love  
And human love is what it takes

"Michael" CJ called to her son. He ran to his mother and she placed him on her lap. She kissed him on the head and soon let him fall into line with his sister. She leaned back and remembered when she first met Danny and how she never thought her life would turn out this way. She ran in her head the events from the week before.

"And I now open the Bartlet Presidential Library." She heard the words in her head from the week before. The applause, the smiles of her friends, and she knew how content she was. She decided to enjoy the moment.

SONG:

And I'll be at your side  
When you're falling down  
You'll be feeling fine  
When you hit the ground  
So don't slip away  
Stay ...  
Beautiful child

A few years later

"Danny, don't go." CJ told him in their bedroom in D.C.

"What?"

"Danny, you're forty-nine years old and you have two kids, you shouldn't be going on assignments like this?"

"C.J., don't worry, it's nothing, I go in I go out, I'll be fine."

"Your going into a war zone, Danny, don't tell me it's nothing to worry about, because it is something to worry about."

"It's on the border of a war zone."

"It doesn't matter, Danny, any a number of things could happen, you could get a blood clot—"

"And I could fall down the stairs here and hit my head, C.J., this is my job."

"This isn't the job for a man your age?"

"My age?"

"You're too old for this Danny."

"I am not too old for this?"

"I'm too young to be a widow."

"Wait, how can I be too old for this, but you're too young to be a widow."

"Women live longer than men."

"I'd really like to end this conversation for the moment."

"Danny—"

"So, you think I'm gonna die first?"

"I was counting on it, but you have to wait ten more years until the time share gets paid off so I can go to Miami and live with my boy toy Derek."

"I see."

"Danny."

"Tell Derek I said hey."

"Don't joke about this Danny!"

"I'm not!"

"You're my husband and the father of my children, we have to make these kinds of decisions together."

"I know. I know. But I didn't ask for this. They offered it to me."

"You could have said no."

"Yeah." He lifted his laptop bag over his shoulder. "I have to go to work, can we talk about this later."

"Yeah. We still having lunch?"

"Yeah. I'll call you if there's a change."

"Okay." Danny kissed C.J.

"I'll be fine."

"I say no."

"Hey, who wears the pants around here."

"Me, Danny, always me."

"Point well taken."

"Two children Danny--"

"I know."

"—Conceived and delivered between the ages of 43 to 46 Danny!—"

"Yes, I remember I was there."

That's over sixty hours of labor. You owe me."

"Sixty hours?"

"You want me to show you how it _felt_."

"I'm just sayin, 'cause I was there and seems like a—"

"---'Cause I could. Maybe I could pull your head through the mail slot in the door."

"No, I think that'd be more feeling like I was being born myself."

"Let's try!"

"Whoa, whoa, down girl. I get it. I thought you wanted me alive?"

"No! I'd just rather do it myself! I can't leave this to amateurs."

"Killed a lot of people have you?"

"Yeah, I'm a regular Bonnie and Clyde."

"You know even though it's a little bit evil your sarcasm still turns me on."

"Why don't you ever take me seriously?"

"I always take you seriously. Just not about this." Danny kissed her.

"And other things---"She lifted off.

"Not many, a few other things, but that's in the past."

"Yeah, you're not trying to get one over on me."

"I'd say the same thing about you."

"I'd really like to end this conversation for the moment."

"Yeah." He laughed at her. Oh, how she could never stop amusing him. Danny walked out of their bedroom calling after her. "I'll call ya."

C.J. could hear Danny yell and play with Emma and Michael as he left. The sounds were beautiful, but C.J. couldn't help think about Danny's plans.

THAT NIGHT.

"Are you going to sit there and sulk?" Danny yelled at C.J. who had nestled herself in their corner chair. She ignored him and walked into the bathroom.

"I'm divorcing you, you know that!" She yelled to him.

"Yeah, Yeah." Danny said as he placed the last of his belongings in the carry-on. "You know Richard asked me to go. He's been a really good friend to me over the years—"

"Tell him I said no!" C.J. made herself visible in the doorway. Danny gave her a face.

"What? Makes you sound like you take orders from your wife."

"Yes, that's exactly what it sounds like!"

"Since when did you become a sexist Marxist!"

"What does one have to do with the other!"

"In my world they're one in the same."

"In Claudia Jean land?"

"Yes, Claudia Jean land, where we party twenty four seven and your day pass is starting to expire."

"You making this thing a bigger deal then it is?"

"Since when did you become that guy. You were never that guy. That's why I love you, 'cause you were never that guy."

"All guys are that guy! That's who we are, C.J. We can't help it. No matter how understanding and sweet we are we want to be our own men."

"A man would stay with his family."

"I'm not leaving my family?! This is my job. I'll be back in a week." Danny took the carry-on off the bed and threw it against the doorframe.

"What if you don't come back?" She said wearily.

"C.J. I told you don't think that way."

"I'm sorry Danny, but I can't. I can't not think that way. You and Emma and Michael are my life."

"You're my life too." Danny walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You're my life C.J. This doesn't mean—"He kissed her on the head.

"You have responsibilities, Danny."

"Yes, and my job pays for those responsibilities. I'll be back in a week." Danny stood up and started for the door, taking his bag over his shoulder.

"For god's sake, Danny, grow up!"

"I need to grow up!?"

"Yes, you need to grow up. You're not twenty anymore. Hell, neither of us are. And I don't know about you, but I spent too long waiting for this and I'm not letting it slip through my fingers. I will not loose you and I will not let our children grow up not knowing you. We can't do everything we did before--"

"Stop doing this. Stop thinking everything's going to go wrong."

"Because it does!"

"C.J."

"Danny you have to stop living this life—"

"What life?"

"The life you lived thirty years ago, even six years ago. You're married now, Danny, and you have children. Our children."

Danny looked her at with deep love. "That's why you're asking me this?"

"Yes!" C.J said exasperated.

Danny dropped his bag to the bedroom floor. "I'll stay."

Michael Cregg-Concannon took in the White House from his ten-year-old position, his father's hand on his head so as not to lose him. He watched, as people seemed extremely happy to see his father, and him. It gave Michael, staring up at his father as his dad joked and palled with people, an amazing feeling that his father was a well-liked man.

"Danny!" Sam yelled Danny's name.

"Sam, what are you doing here?"

"Josh, come here, it's Danny." Sam looked back at Danny. "We're doing some consulting work for—"

"Hey there Mikey." Josh ran his hand through Michael's hair.

"Hey, Mike, you remember Josh, he's your godfather."

"Hi." Mike said sheepishly.

"And Sam."

"I'm not your godfather." Sam said unsure how to make the boy remember. "Not that I'm not great friends with your parents, I'm just not your godfather in any way. Well, not the technical way, but I could be in the spiritual sense of the word." Sam looked away and did his best Brando impression. "Michael it's about the family." Josh, Michael, and Danny stared at him.

"He's not gonna—"Josh said to Sam.

"Sorry, I just always wanted to—"

"Yeah, Sam we know." The group continued to walk.

"You showing him the tour?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, thought I'd show him around. Show him C.J.'s old office."

"You mean where you two first..." Josh started to infer in a non-child friendly way.

"Hey!" Danny put his hands over Michael's ears.

"I wasn't gonna say anything—"

"You're implyng, don't imply in front of my kid." Danny removed his hands.

Josh put his hands over Michael's ears. "But you too didn't even really do anything. Did you?"

"No!"

Josh took his hands off Michael's ears.

"I bet he wanted to." Sam said from the back of the group. "Man, eight years?" Sam put his hands on Michael's ears. "How'd you get past that?"

"A lot of cold showers."

"Yeah, Sam, not all of us had hookers back then."

"Again a joke at my expense and I'm okay with it. But if I can just say." He paused. "You'd better." He gestured with his head. Josh gave an "oh" look and covered Michael's ears. Michael looked up at the strange grown ups. Sam pointed to Josh. "Once slept with the First Lady's chief of staff." He pointed to Danny. "Was in love with the Press Secretary for eight years while you were her senior correspondent."

"Made your case?" Danny asked.

"Pretty much."

"Good." He then nodded to Josh, who took his hands off Michael's ears as they now had reached the Press Secretary's office.

"Is this it, Dad?" Michael asked his father.

"Yeah, Mikey, this is it." Danny's phone beeped. He looked down at his text message as Michael ran off.

"Hey, Michael."

"We'll take care of 'um, we're on lunch. You got to take that."

"Yeah. I'll be right back."

"Don't worry, we got him."

"Just keep an eye out for him, he tends to get himself into things."

"In to things?"

"It's curiosity. He is C.J.'s kid."

"That's funny because I was going to say the exact same thing about you." Josh laughed.

Josh entered the Press Secretary's office and found Michael at the foot of the desk.

"We should wait for Walter to come back."

"False alarm." Danny walked in behind his son. Michael turned around and caught eyes with his father and Danny couldn't help but laugh at the red-headed kid he never thought he'd have. Danny remembered every detail of how the office used to look when CJ had lived, breathed and pushed him away in the office. He looked to the left of the desk, remembering the spot where for almost eight years Gail's bowl sat, with Gail swimming away and never knowing the symbol she was to the couple.


	7. Chapter 7

Michael Cregg-Concannon took in the White House from his ten-year-old position, his father's hand on his head so as not to lose him. He watched, as people seemed extremely happy to see his father, and him. It gave Michael, staring up at his father as his dad joked and palled with people, an amazing feeling that his father was a well-liked man.

"Danny!" Sam yelled Danny's name.

"Sam, what are you doing here?"

"Josh, come here, it's Danny." Sam looked back at Danny. "We're doing some consulting work for—"

"Hey there Mikey." Josh ran his hand through Michael's hair.

"Hey, Mike, you remember Josh, he's your godfather."

"Hi." Mike said sheepishly.

"And Sam."

"I'm not your godfather." Sam said unsure how to make the boy remember. "Not that I'm not great friends with your parents, I'm just not your godfather in any way. Well, not the technical way, but I could be in the spiritual sense of the word." Sam looked away and did his best Brando impression. "Michael it's about the family." Josh, Michael, and Danny stared at him.

"He's not gonna—"Josh said to Sam.

"Sorry, I just always wanted to—"

"Yeah, Sam we know." The group continued to walk.

"You showing him the tour?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, thought I'd show him around. Show him C.J.'s old office."

"You mean where you two first..." Josh started to infer in a non-child friendly way.

"Hey!" Danny put his hands over Michael's ears.

"I wasn't gonna say anything—"

"You're implyng, don't imply in front of my kid." Danny removed his hands.

Josh put his hands over Michael's ears. "But you too didn't even really do anything. Did you?"

"No!"

Josh took his hands off Michael's ears.

"I bet he wanted to." Sam said from the back of the group. "Man, eight years?" Sam put his hands on Michael's ears. "How'd you get past that?"

"A lot of cold showers."

"Yeah, Sam, not all of us had hookers back then."

"Again a joke at my expense and I'm okay with it. But if I can just say." He paused. "You'd better." He gestured with his head. Josh gave an "oh" look and covered Michael's ears. Michael looked up at the strange grown ups. Sam pointed to Josh. "Once slept with the First Lady's chief of staff." He pointed to Danny. "Was in love with the Press Secretary for eight years while you were her senior correspondent."

"Made your case?" Danny asked.

"Pretty much."

"Good." He then nodded to Josh, who took his hands off Michael's ears as they now had reached the Press Secretary's office.

"Is this it, Dad?" Michael asked his father.

"Yeah, Mikey, this is it." Danny's phone beeped. He looked down at his text message as Michael ran off.

"Hey, Michael."

"We'll take care of 'um, we're on lunch. You got to take that."

"Yeah. I'll be right back."

"Don't worry, we got him."

"Just keep an eye out for him, he tends to get himself into things."

"In to things?"

"It's curiosity. He is C.J.'s kid."

"That's funny because I was going to say the exact same thing about you." Josh laughed.

Josh entered the Press Secretary's office and found Michael at the foot of the desk.

"We should wait for Walter to come back."

"False alarm." Danny walked in behind his son. Michael turned around and caught eyes with his father and Danny couldn't help but laugh at the red-headed kid he never thought he'd have. Danny remembered every detail of how the office used to look when CJ had lived, breathed and pushed him away in the office. He looked to the left of the desk, remembering the spot where for almost eight years Gail's bowl sat, with Gail swimming away and never knowing the symbol she was to the couple.

Years Later.

"What's with the fish?" The young woman, standing in the new Press Secretary office, asked while looking at the fish bowl on the desk.

"A gift from my mother." Michael Concannon looked at the fish with her.

"Why?" Michael's secretary Gloria asked, still looking at the bowl, as Michael went over a few things on his desk. Michael Concannon had the height of his mother, with his father's eyes and hair. At the age of 36, he was just about the same age as his mother when she held the job. He ran his hand over his cleanly shaven face.

"I have no idea."

"You ready?" Gloria perked up.

"Yeah." He lifted his head.

"You ready?"

"Yeah?"

"You pumped?"

"Stop that."

"Yeah, let's go."

Gloria started out when she heard a thud behind her. She turned around to find Michael, having tripped, on the floor.

"Mike, you okay?"

"Yeah." He said from the floor.

"Okay good. 'Cause you got a gaggle." She handed Michael her folder as he stood.

"Just give me a moment to regain."

"Your manhood."

'My composure. My composure." He swatted the folder from Gloria's hand.

"Fair enough." Michael handed Gloria back the folder as he noticed he was unkempt from the fall. Michael began to swat off the dirt and lint off him while straightening his suit for public viewing.

"You know if I wasn't married I'd take you right now." She said dryly.

"Thanks for the support." He looked up at her.

"Tripping, in a man, is pretty damn sexy." She was dry as ever.

"Yeah, I got that." He said with sarcasm. He took back the folder.

"So what's it like being in Mommy's old office." She teased him.

"Listen Gloria." He yelled at her as he began his walk to the Press Room. "Now that you actually have the job you can stop this honeymoon period of being nice to me. I mean it's really unbecoming."

"Well, sarcasm isn't a lovely color on you either."

"You know my father worked here also?!"

"Are we back to the mommy comment?"

"Yes!"

"I knew we would at some point."

"My father was a very highly respected and decorated member of the White House press corps, so shake a stick at that why don't you."

"Okay?" Gloria didn't get it. "You father was in the Press Corps. I didn't know that?" She hurried up to catch his pace. "Really?"

"Yes?"

"Is that how they met?" Gloria tossed her hair as they waited for a large group of people to pass.

"How did you not know that?" He looked at Gloria with his father's question mark look.

"I didn't."

"He has two Pulitzers for his work in the White House?"

"I knew he was a reporter. I met the man. And he's like famous."

"You didn't know they met here?"

"I'm sorry they didn't cover inter-office romances when we studied the Bartlets in History class. Of course who knows, I could have been sick that day."

Michael gave her a look and they started walking again.

"So, like wasn't that some kind of conflict of interest thing."

"They didn't—"

"Oh my god!" Gloria stopped.

"What? What? Did we forget something?" Michael stopped.

"You don't think your parents did it in your office!"

Michael took a breath.

"Gloria." He tried not to freak. "Even though, as I was going to tell you, nothing happened while they worked here—I'd just like to say thank you for loading me up with that image." He began to walk again. "Like that's not going to need sixty hours of therapy and a can of Lysol."

"They could have—"

"Again, can't wash that kind of stuff out of my brain!"

"So if they didn't have a relationship until after, they were just friends for eight years?"

"If you mean my father was in love with my mother for eight years and she—"

"Denied him access."

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Wow."

"What?"

"Concannon men."

"What about us?"

"Concannon men are piners."

"I'm not a piner."

"You're a piner. But knowing your dad I don't think he was as private about it as you." They stopped by the Press Room door. "You hold things in for too long? Maybe you get that from your mother?"

"Can we dissect my DNA another day." He gestured with his head toward the door.

"You ready?" Gloria asked.

"So ready."

"Now, just try to forget all about the pressure, your mother being one of the best Press Secretaries a Democratic president has had, and the fact that your parents probably conceived you just there on the floor of your office—and it probably had something to do with a fish."

"Yeah, had the image gone, but now---even stronger."

"Glad I could help." She smiled.

Michael made sure his jacket was pulled down and waited.

"It will be a moment." A woman said entered the room.

Michael looked over to the side and saw a woman walking toward the back entrance of the Press Room. She wasn't as tall as Michael, but just the right size and something about her, he didn't know, caught his attention. Maybe it was her laugh, or the look in her eye. He didn't know. She didn't look like his type, but his heart skipped a beat. Gloria looked over at him.

"Michael? Mike?"

"Who's that?"

"I think that's Cecelia McGovern from the Sun---oh no—"

"What?"

"I know that look?"

"What, what look?"

"That look. The look. The Candice Ford and Cindy Wick look. Only it's different. But it's definitely the look."

"No, not her." He looked up. "No, no. Not me." He prayed he wouldn't be like his father again.

"Concannon men." She smirked.

"Shut up."

"Concannon men."

"One, shut up, two, you're wrong, and third, just shut up."

Michael entered the room.

"Concannon men." Gloria smirked and followed Michael Talmidge Cregg-Concannon into the room his parents once occupied.

THE END OF THE END


End file.
